Since the bride had wanted a small wedding, the flaunting of wealth through the sculpture and party favors would have seemed "ostentatious."

From the context of the sentence, you know that King Asoka must have possessed some positive trait that caused people to come to him for help in settling disagreements. Of the five possible answer choices, only "equitable"(fair) describes a positive attribute when it comes to mediation. As for the other answer choices, "deplorable" meansappallingorterrible; "condescending" meanstalking down to someone or being arrogant towards someone; "lackadaisical" meanscareless, apathetic, or lazy; and "impoverished" meansvery poor.

From the context of this sentence, you know firstly that the blank word must describe some attitude taken by Marie Antoinette towards her appearance, and that it must relate to her worries about something small (the “single grey hair”). The word "fastidious" meansconcerned with making the smallest details perfect, and is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, "vindictive" meansspiteful; "cursory" meansdone in a quick and superficial way; "restrained" meansshowing restraint; and "steadfast" meansunwavering in resolve and firm of purpose.

The way this sentence is constructed tells you that the missing word being used to describe the young Prince must relate to his frequent episodes of sulking and complaining. Of the five answer choices, "petulant," which meanssulky or ill-tempered, most closely matches this description. As for the other answer choices, "miserly" meansgreedy or unwilling to share; "incessant" meansconstant; "notorious" refers to someone who isfamous for the wrong reasons; and "vindictive" meanslooking for revenge or spiteful.

"Superfluous" meansexcessive. We know from the first half of the sentence that John uses too much punctuation, so this is the correct choice. "Essential" and "exquisite" are both positive adjectives, so they don't work in this blank. "Flatulent"and "dissonant" simply don't make sense when describing commas.

The sentence reveals that it is difficult for a historian to construct a certain type of narrative because of the impact of bias; therefore, the word that goes in the blank must refer to the quality of being unbiased. "Dispassionate" meanscalmly objective or not influenced by personal feelings, so it is the best answer. As for the other answer choices, "whimsical" meansquirky; "rhetorical" meansrelating to strategies of making language effective and persuasive; "verbose" meanswordy; and "influential" meanshaving influence or important.

The answer is "noxious" since the subject of the sentence got a stomachache after coming in contact with the "harmful and toxic" milk.

Lacklusteris correct because it means dull or lacking in brilliance. We know from the first part of the sentence that the blank should contain a negative adjective, sofeasibleandlucrativedon't work.Pretentiousdescribes something or someone who wants to be regarded as impressive, andfastidiousdescribes a person who is careful and meticulous. Neither describe a falling-apart performance.

Conspicuousis the correct answer because it means to stand out or be more visible.Enthusedorfanaticare other adjectives that might fit wearing a bright pink bow, but theconspicuouscontrasts well with how he "tried to blend in with the crowd."

Winsomeis correct because it means attractive or handsome. We know it has to be something that is positive because it is paired with "charming."Brusqueandvolatileare both negative adjectives and can be eliminated.